Apparatus and Methods for Manicures
A method of applying a curable formulation to an object includes positioning an amount of formulation on a surface before curing the formulation, the formulation being curable by an electromagnetic energy. While the amount of formulation remains on the surface, a first amount of the electromagnetic energy may be directed to the formulation to cure a first area of the uncured formulation, while leaving a second area of the formulation uncured. Force may be applied to press the surface onto the object to transfer the second area of uncured formulation to the object. Some or all of the first area of cured formulation may remain on the surface as the second area of uncured formulation is transferred to the object. The formulation may be a nail polish formulation, and the object may be a fingernail of a user.
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This application claims the benefit of the filing dates of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/951,016, filed Dec. 20, 2019 and titled “Pad Printing Apparatus and Methods for Manicures,” and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/003,936, filed Apr. 2, 2020 and titled “Pad Printing Apparatus and Methods for Manicures,” the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein.
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURENail polish is typically applied to finger and/or toe nails by hand using various coats. A first base coat is often applied to the nail plate, which may serve to protect the underlying nail, as well as to facilitate adhesion of upper nail polish coats to the nail plate. Following the base coat, one or more color layers are typically then applied to the base coat on the nail plate. Then, a top coat is typically applied over the color coat(s) to strengthen and/or protect the nail polish, which may help prevent the nail polish from chipping, flaking, or otherwise being damaged. When nail polish (particularly in the form of nitrocellulose lacquer) is applied in the manner described above, the nail polish typically lasts between two days and a week before beginning to chip and/or flake. Further, when applying a base coat, intermediate color coat(s), and a top coat, the underlying layer may need to mostly or fully dry prior to applying the next layer, which may result in a significant amount of time between application of the base coat and drying of the top coat.
Curable nail polish formulation, which may be also referred to as gel nail polish or gel coats, is a type of nail polish that is cured instead of air-dried. For example, an ultraviolet (“UV”) curable gel coat may be applied manually and then exposed to a UV source, such as a UV lamp or a UV light emitting diode(s) (“LED”) to polymerize or otherwise cure the gel coat. The resulting cured gel coat is often stronger than traditional nail polishes, lasting anywhere between one and four weeks before chipping, flaking, and otherwise being damaged. Typically, gel coat applications are performed at salons or other places of business rather than in the home, at least in part due to the additional hardware required to cure the gel polish.
In view of the above, it would be desirable to have a system that provides for easy, rapid, and accurate application and curing of gel polish to desired areas, such as the nail plates of the fingers, either for at-home or in-salon use.
BRIEF SUMMARYAccording to one embodiment of the disclosure, a nail polish application component is for use in a system that includes a nail polish applicator having a hardness. The nail polish application component may include a nail polish formulation positioned on a transfer film, and the transfer film may have a hardness that is equal to or less than the hardness of the nail polish applicator. The nail polish formulation comprises a diacrylate-based resin or a dimethacrylate-based resin, a film-forming homopolymer and a photoinitiator. The nail polish formulation may have a viscosity of at least 200,000 centipoise (cP) or at least 2,000,000 cP at a temperature of between about 20° C. and about 25° C., and at a shear rate of about 10 s−1. The nail polish formulation may be a non-Newtonian fluid having shear-thinning properties, and shear-thickening properties. Alternatively, it may be a yield stress fluid. The transfer film may be formed of a material having a Shore durometer hardness of between Shore OO-40 and Shore OO-70, a Shore durometer hardness of Shore OO-40 or less, or a Shore durometer hardness of Shore OO-10 or less. The nail polish formulation may be curable by electromagnetic energy. The transfer film may be formed of a silicone, a thermoplastic elastomer, a thermoplastic urethane, or a hydrogel, and/or may be formed of a material configured to stretch to match contours of a user's fingernail upon application of force to the transfer film. The nail polish application component may include a protective layer, and the nail polish formulation may be sandwiched between the transfer film and the protective layer, or otherwise the transfer film may be positioned between the nail polish formulation and the protective layer. The nail polish formulation may have a greater affinity to the transfer film than to the protective layer. The transfer film and the protective layer may be formed as continuous tape with areas of the nail polish formulation. The nail polish application component may have a rolled storage condition, and in the rolled storage condition, at least some of the deposited nail polish formulation may be in contact with the protective layer. The nail polish formulation may be applied or deposited as a series of layers, namely a base coat, a color coat, and a topcoat. Each of these layers or coats may compromise the nail polish formulation. For example, the different formulations of the nail polish may be positioned in sequence such that the color coat is positioned directly between the base coat and the topcoat. The base coat may include a pressure-sensitive adhesive (“PSA”). The nail polish application component may include a first support line extending along a length of the transfer film, the first support line having a stiffness greater than a stiffness of the transfer film. The first support line may be spaced apart from the areas of nail polish formulation. The nail polish application component may include a second support line extending along the length of the transfer film, the second support line having a stiffness greater than the stiffness of the transfer film. The areas of nail polish formulation may be positioned between the first support line and the second support line.
According to another embodiment of the disclosure, a nail polish application system may include an applicator pad having a hardness and a nail polish formulation deposited on a transfer film, the transfer film having a hardness that is equal to or less than the hardness of the applicator pad. The applicator pad may be formed of a silicone, a thermoplastic elastomer, a thermoplastic urethane, or a hydrogel. The applicator pad may be formed of a material having a Shore durometer hardness of between Shore OO-40 and Shore OO-70, of Shore OO-40 or less, or of Shore OO-10 or less. The nail polish formulation may be curable by electromagnetic energy, and the system may include an electromagnetic energy source. The electromagnetic energy source may be adapted to selectively cure the nail polish formulation during or after transfer of the nail polish formulation from the transfer film to a user's fingernail. The applicator pad may be optically clear, and the electromagnetic energy source may be adapted to selectively cure the nail polish formulation by transmitting electromagnetic energy through the applicator pad toward the nail polish formulation. The applicator pad may have a curved leading end adapted to contact a user's fingernail. The system may include an active drive mechanism, such as a motor, adapted to drive the applicator pad toward a user's fingernail when the user's fingernail is positioned within the nail polish application system. The active drive mechanism may be adapted to drive the applicator pad in a rolling motion and/or in a linear motion. The transfer film may be formed as continuous tape, with the nail polish formulation deposited thereon. The system may include a first roller adapted to receive a first end of the continuous tape of transfer film. When the first end of the continuous tape of transfer film is received by the first roller, an intermediate portion of the continuous tape of transfer film between the first end of the continuous tape and a second end of the continuous tape may be positioned in direct or indirect contact with the applicator pad. When the first end of the continuous tape of transfer film is received by the first roller, the intermediate portion of the continuous tape of transfer film may be positioned between the applicator pad and deposited nail polish formulation. The first roller may be operably coupled to an active drive mechanism adapted to rotate the first roller to feed the continuous tape of transfer film from the first roller toward a second roller or a waste compartment. The system may also include a finger support adapted to support a finger of a user. The system may further include a sensor adapted to detect boundaries of a user's fingernail when the user's fingernail is positioned within the system.
According to a further embodiment of the disclosure, a nail polish formulation includes a diacrylate-based resin or a dimethacrylate-based resin, having a mass fraction of between about 50% and about 95%, a film-forming homopolymer having a mass fraction of less than about 15%, and a photoinitiator having a mass fraction of less than about 15%. The formulation may have a viscosity of at least 200,000 centipoise (cP) or at least 2,000,000 cP at a temperature of between about 20° C. and about 25° C., and at a shear rate of about 10 s−1. The formulation may include a pigment having a mass fraction of less than about 15%. The dimethacrylate-based resin may be a urethane dimethacrylate. The diacrylate-based resin may be a urethane diacrylate. The photoinitiator may be 2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyldiphenylphosphine oxide. The film-forming homopolymer may be cellulose acetate butyrate. The formulation may also include a reactive diluent and/or a rheology modifier. The formulation may be a non-Newtonian fluid, having shear-thinning formulation and a shear-thickening properties. Alternatively, the formulation may be a yield stress fluid.
According to yet another embodiment of the disclosure, a method includes applying nail polish to a user's fingernail using a nail polish application system. The method may include positioning the user's fingernail at least partially in the nail polish application system, positioning a continuous tape adjacent an applicator of the nail polish application system, the continuous tape having nail polish formulation positioned thereon, and driving the applicator to press the nail polish formulation onto the user's fingernail to transfer the nail polish formulation to the user's fingernail. The continuous tape may be a transfer film. Positioning the continuous tape adjacent the applicator pad may include positioning the transfer film in direct or indirect contact with the applicator so that the transfer film is positioned between the applicator and the nail polish formulation. Driving the applicator may cause the applicator to press the transfer film and the nail polish formulation onto the user's fingernail to transfer the nail polish formulation from the transfer film to the user's fingernail. The applicator may be an applicator pad. The applicator pad may have a hardness, and the transfer film may have a hardness that is equal to or less than the hardness of the applicator pad. The applicator pad may be formed of a silicone, a thermoplastic elastomer, a thermoplastic urethane, or a hydrogel. The applicator pad may be formed of a material having a Shore durometer hardness of between Shore OO-40 and Shore OO-70, of Shore OO-40 or less, or of Shore OO-10 or less. The nail polish formulation may be curable by electromagnetic energy. The method may include activating an electromagnetic energy source of the nail polish application system to transmit electromagnetic energy to the nail polish formulation on the user's fingernail. The applicator pad may be optically clear, and transmitting electromagnetic energy to the nail polish formulation on the user's fingernail may include transmitting electromagnetic energy through the applicator pad. The method may also include using a sensor to detect boundaries of the user's fingernail. Transmitting electromagnetic energy to the nail polish formulation on the user's fingernail may include selectively transmitting electromagnetic energy only to locations on or within the detected boundaries of the user's fingernail to selectively cure the nail polish formulation. The nail polish formulation may include areas of nail polish formulation positioned on the continuous tape. Positioning the transfer film in direct or indirect contact with the applicator pad of the nail polish application system may include positioning a first end of the continuous tape of transfer film on a first roller of the nail polish application system. Positioning the transfer film in direct or indirect contact with the applicator pad of the nail polish application system may include positioning an intermediate portion of the continuous tape of transfer film in direct or indirect contact with the applicator pad, the intermediate portion of the continuous tape of transfer film being positioned between the first end of the continuous tape of transfer film and a second end of the continuous tape of transfer film. The method may include rotating the first roller to feed the continuous tape of transfer film from the first roller to a second roller or a waste compartment after the nail polish formulation is transferred from the transfer film to the user's fingernail. The continuous tape may be a transfer tape, and positioning the continuous tape adjacent the applicator pad may include positioning the nail polish formulation on the transfer tape between the transfer tape and the applicator pad. The method may include driving the applicator pad onto the nail polish formulation to transfer the nail polish formulation from the transfer tape to the applicator pad. Driving the applicator pad may cause the applicator pad to press the nail polish formulation onto the user's fingernail to transfer the nail polish formulation from the applicator pad to the user's fingernail. The continuous tape and the applicator may be provided as a unit, and driving the applicator may include driving the unit toward the user's fingernail
According to yet a further embodiment of the disclosure, a nail polish application component is for use in a nail polish application system. The nail polish application component may include a continuous tape provided in a rolled configuration so that a first portion of the continuous tape confronts a second portion of the continuous tape, and areas of nail polish formulation deposited on a first face of the continuous tape. A protective layer may be positioned on a second face of the continuous tape opposite the first face, so that the continuous tape is positioned between the protective layer and the nail polish formulation. In the rolled configuration of the continuous tape, the nail polish formulation may be in direct contact with the protective layer. The nail polish formulation may have a greater affinity to the transfer film than to the protective layer. The nail polish formulation may have a viscosity of at least 200,000 centipoise (cP) or at least 2,000,000 cP at a temperature of between about 20° C. and about 25° C., and at a shear rate of about 10 s−1. The continuous tape may be a transfer film formed of a material configured to stretch to match contours of a user's fingernail upon application of force to the transfer film. The transfer film may be formed of a silicone, a thermoplastic elastomer, a thermoplastic urethane, or a hydrogel. The transfer film may be formed of a material having a Shore durometer hardness of between Shore OO-40 and Shore OO-70, of Shore OO-40 or less, or of Shore OO-10 or less. The nail polish formulation may be curable by electromagnetic energy. The transfer film may be formed of a silicone, a thermoplastic elastomer, a thermoplastic urethane, or a hydrogel, and/or may be formed of a material configured to stretch to match contours of a user's fingernail upon application of force to the transfer film. The nail polish application component may include a protective layer, and the nail polish formulation may be sandwiched between the transfer film and the protective layer, or otherwise the transfer film may be positioned between the nail polish formulation and the protective layer. The nail polish formulation may have a greater affinity to the transfer film than to the protective layer. The transfer film and the protective layer may be formed as continuous tape with areas of the nail polish formulation. The nail polish application component may have a rolled storage condition, and in the rolled storage condition, at least some of the deposited nail polish formulation may be in contact with the protective layer. The nail polish formulation may be applied or deposited as a series of layers, namely a base coat, a color coat, and a topcoat. Each of these layers or coats may compromise the nail polish formulation. For example, the different formulations of the nail polish may be positioned in sequence such that the color coat is positioned directly between the base coat and the top coat.
According to an aspect of the disclosure, a nail polish application component for use in a nail polish application system includes a cartridge, an applicator at least partially housed within the cartridge, and a tape at least partially housed within the cartridge. A first area of nail polish formulation may be positioned on the tape. In an operative condition, the tape may be positioned adjacent the applicator so that the first area of nail polish formulation faces away from the applicator. A first end of the tape may be coupled to a first support of the cartridge. A length of the tape may be wound around the first support of the cartridge in a rolled configuration. In the rolled configuration, a first portion of the length of tape may confront a second portion of the length of tape. The tape may include a protective layer positioned so that, in the rolled configuration, the protective layer of the tape is in direct contact with nail polish formulation of the tape. The tape may include a transfer film, the first area of nail polish formulation being positioned on the transfer film. The transfer film may be formed of a silicone, a thermoplastic elastomer, a thermoplastic urethane, or a hydrogel. The transfer film may be formed of a material having a Shore durometer hardness of Shore OO-70 or less. The first area of nail polish formulation may be curable by electromagnetic energy. A second area of nail polish formulation may be positioned on the tape, the first area of nail polish formulation and the second area of nail polish formulation being formed of different formulations. The cartridge may include a recess at a bottom end thereof, the recess being sized and shaped to receive a fingertip of a user at least partially therein. A portion of the tape may traverse the recess. In the operative condition, the nail polish formulation may be positioned on the portion of the tape that traverses the recess. A seal may be positioned over the recess, the seal being removable to expose the recess. The applicator may have an arcuate shape. The applicator may include two supports and a central portion extending between the two supports. The cartridge may include a recess at a bottom end thereof, the recess being sized and shaped to receive a fingertip of a user at least partially therein, a central portion of the applicator being aligned with the recess. The central portion of the applicator may extend between a first support of the applicator and a second support of the applicator, the recess being positioned between the first support and the second support. The cartridge may include a supply roller and a take-up roller, the applicator being positioned between the supply roller and the take-up roller. At least one of the supply roller and the take-up roller may rotatable to advance the tape from the supply roller toward the take-up roller.
According to an embodiment of the disclosure, a nail polish application component is for use in a nail polish application system and includes a cartridge. An applicator may be at least partially housed within the cartridge. A tape may be at least partially housed within the cartridge. A first area of the nail polish formulation may be positioned on the tape. In an operative condition, the tape may be positioned adjacent the applicator so that the nail polish formulation faces away from the applicator. A first end of the tape may be coupled to a first support of the cartridge. A length of the tape may be wound around the first support of the cartridge in a rolled configuration. In the rolled configuration, a first portion of the length of tape may confront a second portion of the length of tape. The tape may include a protective layer positioned so that, in the rolled configuration, the protective layer of the tape is in direct contact with nail polish formulation of the tape. The tape may include a transfer film, and the first area of nail polish formulation may be positioned on the transfer film. The transfer film may be formed of a silicone, a thermoplastic elastomer, a thermoplastic urethane, or a hydrogel. The transfer film may be formed of a material having a Shore durometer hardness of Shore OO-70 or less. The first area of nail polish formulation may be curable by electromagnetic energy. A second area of nail polish formulation may be positioned on the tape, the first area of nail polish formulation and the second area of nail polish formulation being formed of different formulations. The cartridge may include a recess at a bottom end thereof, the recess being sized and shaped to receive a fingertip of a user at least partially therein. A portion of the tape may traverse the recess. In the operative condition, the first area of nail polish formulation may be positioned on the portion of the tape that traverses the recess. A seal may be positioned over the recess, the seal being removable to expose the recess. The applicator may have an arcuate shape. The applicator may include two supports and a central portion extending between the two supports. The cartridge may include a recess at a bottom end thereof, the recess being sized and shaped to receive a fingertip of a user at least partially therein, a central portion of the applicator being aligned with the recess. The central portion of the applicator may extend between a first support of the applicator and a second support of the applicator, the recess being positioned between the first support and the second support. The cartridge may include a supply roller and a take-up roller, the applicator being positioned between the supply roller and the take-up roller. At least one of the supply roller and the take-up roller may be rotatable to advance the tape from the supply roller toward the take-up roller.
According to another embodiment of the disclosure, a method of applying a resin to an object includes positioning an amount of resin on a surface, the resin being curable by an electromagnetic energy. While the amount of resin remains on the surface, a first amount of the electromagnetic energy may be directed to the resin to cure a first area of the uncured resin, while leaving a second area of the resin uncured. Force may be applied to press the surface onto the object to transfer the second area of uncured resin to the object, while the first area of cured resin remains on the surface. A second amount of the electromagnetic energy may be directed to the second area of uncured resin that has been transferred to the object to cure the second area of uncured resin on the object. A shape of the object may be detected prior to directing the first amount of the electromagnetic energy to the resin. Directing the first amount of the electromagnetic energy to the resin may include directing the first amount of the electromagnetic energy in a pattern that is an inverse of the detected shape of the object. Directing the first amount of the electromagnetic energy to the resin may include directing the first amount of the electromagnetic energy in a pattern that leaves the second area of uncured resin in a shape corresponding to the detected shape of the object. The resin may be a nail polish formulation. The object may be a fingernail. Directing the second amount of the electromagnetic energy to the second area of uncured resin may include selectively curing the second area of uncured resin. Directing the second amount of the electromagnetic energy to the second area of uncured resin may include bulk curing the second area of uncured resin. The first amount of electromagnetic energy may be directed from a first source of electromagnetic energy, and the second amount of electromagnetic energy may be directed from the first source of electromagnetic energy. The first amount of electromagnetic energy may be directed from a first source of electromagnetic energy, and the second amount of electromagnetic energy may be directed from a second source of electromagnetic energy different than the first source.
A system for accurately applying and curing a gel coat to the nail plates of the fingers or toes may include a housing 10, as shown in
Preferably, camera 20 is operatively connected, e.g. by wires or wirelessly, to an application, such as an application running on a mobile phone or other suitable device with a display. However, camera 20 may be otherwise or additionally operatively coupled to software that is within system housing 10 or which is located somewhere other than a user's mobile device. Upon insertion of a finger into housing 10 via entry 18, the user may initiate an application to begin a method for applying and curing gel polish to the fingernail. For example, camera 20 may provide a live feed (or static picture) to a mobile application on a mobile device. Preferably, anatomical or shape recognition software operatively connected to the camera 20, which may be running on the user's mobile device, on software provided with camera 20, or other software otherwise connected to the camera (including software within housing 10), detects the outer edges of the fingernail within housing. The application may overlie the detected outline on the live feed (or static picture) and present the user an option of confirming the accuracy of the detected outline, or otherwise re-initiating the detection process. If the shape detection appears accurate, the user may confirm and continue the method, preferably with little or no movement of the position of the finger within housing 10. In some embodiments, a display serving the same function as the user's mobile device may instead be integrated onto housing 10. In still other embodiments, the detection software may include an algorithm to confirm the shape detection without presenting the user an option of confirming the accuracy of the shape detection. It should be understood that the nail boundary detection may not be solely a single step in which the boundary of the nail is detected, but the detection may be performed periodically, continuously, or substantially continuously so that the boundary of the nail is periodically, continuously, or substantially continuously updated. With such a method, the nail boundary may be rapidly updated over time so that if a user moves his or her finger, the system is able to recognize that movement occurred update the nail boundary accordingly. It should be understood that the speed at which such updating of the nail boundary occurs may be fast enough to provide for real-time or near real-time updates during an application of nail polish, and this continuous or periodic detection may apply to all methods described herein. In other embodiments, instead of or in addition to periodically or continuously updating the detected nail boundary, after an initial detection of the nail boundary, camera 20 or another sensor may track bulk motion of the finger in order to (i) move the nail boundary based on movement of the finger, such as side-to-side translation; (ii) scale the nail boundary based on movement of the finger, such as toward or away from the camera or other sensor; and/or (iii) update the boundary of the nail based on rotation of the finger relative to the camera or other sensor.
Once the outline of the fingernail is confirmed or otherwise detected, an applicator 40 within housing may spray a base coat of photo-curable gel polish onto the fingernail within housing 10. In one embodiment, applicator 40 may include a cartridge or other container housing a volume of the base coat polish that is operatively connected to a nozzle 42 pointed toward the fingernail. The applicator may spray a base coat, for example via aerosol atomization, onto the fingernail, although other methods of application may be suitable, such as pad printing, described in greater detail below. In some embodiments, nozzle 42 may be configured to spray a volume of base coat to cover a large area sufficient to ensure complete coverage of the fingernail, without taking into account the boundary of the fingernail detected using camera 20. In other embodiments, the applicator 40 and/or nozzle 42 may be operatively connected to the shape detection software to direct the volume and spray area of the nozzle to specifically direct the base coat toward the detected fingernail, and away from the skin. In both cases, it is preferable to ensure coverage of the entire fingernail. Any excess spray, for example on the skin of the finger, can be simply wiped off after the base coat is cured. However, it is preferable that the application and curing of the nail polish, as described in greater detail below, is accurate enough to minimize and/or eliminate the need for such wiping of uncured nail polish. If nozzle 42 is operatively connected to the shape detection software to direct the spray of the base coat, it may be coupled to an active drive mechanism, such as a motor, to facilitate the movement of the nozzle. In embodiments in which the applicator 40 and/or nozzle 42 are capable of moving in order to more precisely direct the polish, the applicator 40 and/or nozzle 42 may be coupled to a two- or three-axis motor driven gantry that provides for positioning of the applicator 40 and/or nozzle in any direction in the X and Y axes, for a two-axis gantry, and also in the Z axis, for a three-axis gantry system. It should be understood that any combination of up to three linear degrees of freedom and up to three rotational degrees of freedom may be provided in such positioning systems in order to allow for desired positioning of the applicator 40 and/or nozzle 42.
The applicator 40 and/or nozzle 42 may have any suitable form. For example, the applicator 40 may include one or more re-Tillable cartridges that may be filled with the desired polish. In other embodiments, pods or other containers intended for individual use may be used instead. Single-use pods may provide certain advantages. For example, re-usable applicators may encounter issues with fluid remaining in the nozzle or in other portions of the applicator following a first use, which may result problems during second and later uses. Single use applicators avoid such issues. Further, single use applicators may useful in terms of color choice, as a desired polish and/or colors may be selected for each individual application.
With the fingernail coated with a layer of uncured base coat, a UV source 50 operatively connected to the shape detection software directs UV energy toward the entire detected area of the fingernail, with the limits of the UV energy application being precisely directed within the detected boundaries. Although source 50 is described as a UV source, it should be understood that other energy sources (such as electromagnetic energy sources) may be suitable depending on the type of energy required to cure the various gel polish coats. In one example, UV source 50 may be an apparatus (e.g. a stereolithography apparatus, selective light apparatus, laser curing apparatus, etc.) which includes a static UV source directed onto one or more scanning mirrors (preferably two scanning mirrors), the scanning mirrors being motorized and operatively connected to the shape detection software. The scanning mirrors, which may take the form of high speed mirror galvanometers, may move quickly through various positions to reflect UV energy from the UV source toward all positions on the fingernail within the detected fingernail boundary, such that only the base coat within the detected fingernail boundary is cured, and all other base coat (for example any base coat inadvertently applied to the skin of the finger) remains uncured. In other examples, UV source 50 itself may be motorized and moveable such that the UV source is directed to a single position, with the UV source physically moving along a track or system of tracks such that UV energy is directed to each point within the detected fingernail boundary as the UV sources moves along the track or system of tracks. In this embodiment, the UV source itself (or a component connecting the UV source to the track or system of tracks) may be operatively coupled to the shape detection software in order to direct the UV energy to only the positions within the detected fingernail boundary. It should be understood that the relative positioning of camera 20, applicator 40, nozzle 42, and UV source 50 shown in
Since the curing of the UV-curable base coat may be near instantaneous (e.g. thousands or hundredths of a second) following application of UV energy, the amount of time it takes to cure all of the base coat within the detected fingernail boundaries may mostly be limited by the speed with which the UV source is able to direct UV energy to each point within the detected fingernail boundary. However, it should be understood that other variables, including the power of the energy source (e.g. the power of the laser) and the reactivity of the nail polish, may also affect the curing rate. Once the base coat has been cured by the UV source 50, an indication may be sent to the user. For example, housing 10 may be operatively coupled to an audible signal or a visual signal to indicate completion of the curing. If coupled to a display, such as a display on the user's mobile device, software running on the device may display a prompt to the user to remove his or her finger from housing 10, and to wipe off any uncured base coat. If applicator 40 applied the base coat to any areas outside of the detected fingernail boundary, that excess base coat will not have cured because the UV source 50 is limited to transmitting UV energy into the areas within the detected fingernail boundary. As such, the remaining base coat will not have cured and may be readily removed, for example by wiping with a cloth. The user may be instructed to position the finger back inside housing 10 after removal of uncured base coat. However, in other embodiments, the user may leave the finger within housing 10 after curing of the base coat, without removing uncured base coat at this point. Still further, in some embodiments, the application and curing of the nail polish is accurate enough so that no excess nail polish is applied, minimizing and/or eliminating the need for any wiping steps.
If the user removes his or her finger from the housing 10 to remove uncured base coat from the finger, and then re-positions the finger within the housing, the camera 20 may interact with the shape detection software to once again determine the boundary of the fingernail, in the same manner as described above. If the user leaves his or her finger within housing 10, the camera may not need to again detect the boundary of the fingernail, especially if the finger has remained in substantially the same position. In either case, once the finger is within housing 10 and the base coat has been cured and the boundaries of the fingernail are again determined (or otherwise remain determined from a previous step), applicator 40 may spray a second coat, such as a color coat, of photo-curable polish toward the fingernail. Similar to as described above with respect to the application of the base coat, the application of the color coat is preferably completed so that at least the entire detected area of the fingernail is covered with the color coat, with or without aid of a motor to direct nozzle 42 to spray toward the detected fingernail boundary. With the color coat sprayed on top of the cured base coat, UV source 50 again operates to direct curing energy precisely to the areas within the detected boundary of the fingernail. It should be understood that, in some instances, it may be desirable to provide for more than one color coat, in which case the procedure for the second color coat would be substantially identical to the procedure for the first color coat, and so on.
As should be understood from the above description, the precision of the UV source 50 coupled with the detection of the fingernail boundary and the spray of the various coats to cover at least the entire detected boundary, facilitates an extremely fast and accurate curing of the various nail polish coats that may not otherwise be possible with more conventional gel polish systems.
It should be understood that housing 10 may include multiple applicators 40, one for each coat, including the base coat, one or more color coats, and a top coat. Similarly, each applicator 40 may include a dedicated nozzle 42, or a single nozzle may be operatively connected to each applicator. In some embodiments, applicators 40 may be configured to receive pre-filled cartridges of the base coat, color coat(s), and top coat. It should be understood that, although manicures herein are generally described as including a base coat, one or more color coats, and a top coat, the technologies described herein may apply to any desired coat, unless explicitly noted otherwise. Still further, in some embodiments, a combined coat or an all-in-one coat. For example, a single coat may be formulated to serve as one or more of a base coat, a color coat, and a top coat. In one example, a single coat of an all-in-one nail polish formulation may be suitable for a manicure instead of individual base, color, and top coats.
Once the color coat has been cured by the UV source 50, the user optionally may remove his or her finger from housing 10 and wipe off any uncured color coat, re-insert the finger into the housing, and confirm that the camera 20 and connected software again detects the appropriate boundaries of the fingernail. If this step is to be performed, the user may be provided instructions, for example via the user's mobile device. Otherwise, the user may leave the finger positioned in place after the color coat has cured, which may obviate the need for re-detecting the boundaries of the fingernail, particularly if the finger has not changed positions.
The process may be repeated for a photo-curable top coat, with the top coat being sprayed from an applicator 40 via nozzle 42 to cover at least the areas of the detected fingernail boundary in the same fashion described above for the base coat and color coat. Again, based on the detected fingernail boundaries, UV source 50 may be precisely directed to cure the top coat only within the detected boundaries of the fingernail. When the top coat curing is complete, the user may be instructed, for example via the user's mobile device, to remove his or her finger and remove any uncured top coat (as well as any uncured base coat and color coat if the finger has remained within the housing between each coating step) from the finger. As with the base coat and color coat, because only the various coats within the detected boundary of the fingernail have been cured, wiping away uncured coat may be readily performed using a cloth or other cleaning wipe.
In the example provided above, a single fingernail is completed after application, curing, and wiping away uncured base coat, color coat(s), and top coat. After completion of a first finger, the user may be instructed to insert the next finger into the housing, with the process described above completed for the second finger, and the remaining fingers desired to be polished. In other examples, two or more fingers may be inserted into housing 10 at the same time, with the shape detection software detecting each fingernail boundary, and the coats may be applied to and cured for all fingers within the housing prior to proceeding to the next coat. In other words, the base coat may be sprayed onto all fingernails and cured prior to spraying the color coat onto any finger. Still further, although the exemplary method described above is described as requiring user interaction following each coat application, such user interaction may not be required. For example, once the user's finger is positioned within housing 10, the user may perform a single action, such as pressing a button, after which the base coat, color coat(s), and/or top coat may be applied without requiring user interaction between each application. In still other embodiments, the procedure may be fully automated such that the user need not interact with the system at all once the user places his or her finger in the appropriate position. In some embodiments, any action(s) of cleaning or wiping away any nail polish formulation positioned on the user's skin outside the boundary of the fingernail may be performed automatically. For example, a sponge, wipe, or other applicator may be moved by the system over the user's finger, and that applicator may include a solvent or other material for assisting in wiping away any nail polish deposited on the user's skin outside the fingernail.
Although any desired color may be available for use in the systems described herein, various methods of color mixing may be used to achieve a large range of colors with various mixing techniques. For example, one or more partially transparent color pigments may be layered on top of one another to achieve a desired mix. In other example, a neutral density transparent layer of polish may be applied on top of a color layer in order to achieve a shade different from the underlying color. For example, a bright red base pigment may be provided in a single-use container, and one or more neutral density transparent layers may be applied over the bright red base to achieve a desired shade different from the base pigment.
It should be understood that, in some embodiments, one or more of the coating steps described herein may be omitted from the process. In other words, skipping or otherwise omitting one or more of the base coat step, the color coat step(s), and the top coat step is still within the scope of the invention. For example, although the base coat and top coat may be generally useful, it is envisioned that the processes described above and below may be performed with only a curable color coat in order to even further reduce the amount of time required to apply a color gel coat to the finger and/or toe nails.
Although some mechanisms for depositing uncured nail polish formulation onto a user's nail have been described above, other mechanisms may be suitable. Some additional mechanisms are described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/379,913 (“the '913 application”), the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein. Generally, any mechanism that provides for a “bulk” type of deposit of nail polish formulation onto the nail may be suitable because the resin may be cured with a high degree of precision using, for example, computer vision and/or targeted UV light. However, some forms of bulk deposition of nail polish formulation may provide additional benefits. For example, the '913 application describes, inter alia, an applicator in the form of a sponge or other open cell foam applicator that may be impregnated with liquid nail polish formulation and which may be dragged over the fingernail for a bulk deposition of nail polish onto the nail, followed by a precise curing of that nail polish. Relatively, the bulk deposition may be less precise than the following curing of that nail polish.
One potential benefit of bulk nail polish formulation applicators that apply nail polish to the nail via contact (e.g. a stamp type of action as opposed to a spraying type of action) is that the components may relatively easily be made to be disposable and may reduce the overall messiness of a system that employs that type of applicator. For example, the applicators may be pre-packaged as consumable components to be used with a system as described above, and after one or more uses (e.g. a manicure of two hands), can be disposed. These type of applicators may also be relatively cleaner compared to spray-type applicators, for example because there may be a lower likelihood that nail polish formulation is sprayed onto or into parts of the system other than onto the user's nails if the nail polish formulation is being transferred by contact. However, there may also be potential drawbacks of nail polish formulation applicators that apply nail polish to the nail via contact. For example, it may be relatively difficult to apply an even thickness layer of nail polish formulation that contacts all exterior portions of the nail. In particular, referring to
In order for the leading end 120 of applicator pad 100 to be able to apply a nail polish formulation effectively to the entirety of the nail plate, including at the lateral and proximal folds, the applicator pad 100 may be formed of a highly conformable material. For example, if the applicator pad 100 is formed of a material having a hardness in the Shore OO or Shore OOO durometer range, the applicator will likely be soft and conformable enough to conform to the topography in the nail plate at the lateral and/or proximal folds so that any nail polish formulation on the leading end 120 will transfer upon contact to the nail plate. It has been found that forming the applicator pad 100 from a material having a hardness of Shore durometer OO-10 or lower is particularly effective at conforming the fingernail to deposit the nail polish formulation. For example, materials having a hardness of between about Shore OO-40 and Shore OO-70 may be able to effectively conform to the fingernail, although it may be preferable to have the applicator pad 100 formed of a material having a hardness of less than Shore durometer OO-40, less than Shore durometer OO-30, less than Shore durometer OO-20, or as noted above Shore durometer OO-10 or less.
Materials that may be suitable for use in the applicator pad 100 to achieve the desired hardness may include silicones, including room temperature vulcanizing (“RTV”) silicones, soft thermoplastic urethanes or polyurethanes (“TPUs”), soft thermoplastic elastomers (“TPEs”), and soft thermoplastic rubbers. The particular material, such as TPU or TPE, may include high levels of plasticizers to help achieve the desired softness. However, various other materials may have suitable properties for use as the applicator pad 100, including foams of any of the above-described materials, or hydrogels. Preferably, the applicator pad 100 is formed of a single homogenous material. However, the applicator pad 100 may be formed from different portions having different materials. In either case, the leading end 120 of the applicator pad 100 preferably has hardness in the Shore OO or Shore OOO durometer range, such as Shore OO-10 or less. It should be noted that hardness values on the Shore durometer scale are described herein. However, the hardness values on the Shore durometer scale described herein should be understood to include equivalent hardness values (or ranges of hardness values) as measured via modalities/scales other than Shore durometer. In some embodiments, the applicator pad 100 may include areas or portions with different hardness values. It should further be understood that the hardness of applicator pad 100 may not be the only factor in determining if the applicator pad 100 may effectively contact the entire surface of the fingernail, including the proximal and lateral folds. For example, if a relatively hard applicator pad 100 is pressed with enough force into the fingernail, it may be able to suitably contact all areas of the fingernail. However, if that same applicator pad 100 is pressed with less force into the fingernail, it may not suitably make contact with the entire fingernail. Thus, it is preferable that the material has a hardness that allows the applicator pad 100 to make contact with the entire fingernail when a force presses the applicator pad 100 onto the fingernail, with the force being comfortable to the user. For example, if the applicator pad 100 is pressed onto the user's fingernail with a force of less than about 30 newtons (N), or less than about 25 N, or less than about 20 N, the force is likely not going to cause discomfort to the user. At these forces, for example at a downward force of about 20 N or less, if the applicator pad 100 has a hardness of Shore durometer OO-10 or less, the applicator pad 100 will be able to contact the entire surface of the user's fingernail without causing discomfort to the user.
In some embodiments, the nail polish formulation may be provided as a high viscosity resin that is liquid, but may be thought of as a semi-solid resin. Additional details of examples of the high viscosity resin are described below.
As is described below, the applicator pad 100 is generally used to press the nail polish formulation onto the fingernail, including into the proximal and lateral folds. The applicator pad 100 may be reusable in the sense that it may deform while being pressed onto the fingernail, and may completely or substantially return to its original shape after being removed from contact with the fingernail. However, in other embodiments, the applicator pad 100 may take the form of a film that elongates, stretches, and/or conforms to the contours of the user's fingernail, such as a paraffin film. For example, such an applicator film may have a nail polish formulation applied to one surface, and that surface may be brought into contact with the user's fingernail, with the film elongating, stretching, and/or conforming to the contours of the user's fingernail in the process. With such an applicator film, the applicator film may be disposable or non-reusable, as the film may not return to its original shape or form after elongating or stretching.
In order for the nail polish formulation to be pressed from the applicator pad 100 onto the user's fingernail, the nail polish formulation may first need to be positioned on the applicator pad 100. There are at least two general methods for positioning the nail polish formulation on the applicator pad 100. For example, the nail polish formulation may be directly applied onto the applicator pad 100. In another embodiment, described in greater detail below, the nail polish formulation may first be positioned on an intermediate member (or multiple intermediate members), and the intermediate member(s) may be positioned on the applicator pad 100.
If the nail polish formulation is to be applied directly to the applicator pad 100, such application may be performed via any suitable method. For example, the nail polish formulation may be sprayed onto the applicator pad 100, or the nail polish formulation may be pressed onto the applicator pad 100 (or the applicator pad 100 may be pressed onto another surface on which the nail polish formulation is positioned). For example, as shown in
Once the nail polish formulation 300 is positioned on the transfer substrate 200, the film of nail polish formulation 300 may be transferred to the applicator pad 100. For example,
After the film of nail polish formulation 300 is transferred to the leading end 120 of the applicator pad 100, the applicator pad 100 may be used to transfer the film of nail polish formulation 300 from the applicator pad 100 onto a user's fingernail.
As noted above, the material used to form applicator pad 100 is preferably chosen so that the nail polish formulation 300 prefers to stick to the applicator pad 100 over the transfer substrate 200. Similarly, the material used to form applicator pad 100 is preferably chosen so that the nail polish formulation 300 prefers to stick to the fingernail 410 of the user over the applicator pad 100. In other words, as the applicator pad 100 presses onto the user's fingernail 410, the nail polish formulation 300 prefers to transfer from the applicator pad 100 to the user's fingernail 410, instead of merely remaining on the applicator pad 100 upon contact with the fingernail 410.
Further, as described above, the applicator pad 100 may be formed of an extremely conformable material, the material preferably having a hardness in the Shore OO or Shore OOO durometer ranges. At least partially as a result of the extreme conformability of the applicator pad 100, the applicator pad 100 is able to easily conform to the topography of the user's fingernail 410, including the relatively large curvature at the lateral folds of the fingernail. As a result, the applicator pad 100 is easily able to press nail polish formulation 300 into all portions of the user's nail plate. Without this conformability, it may be very difficult to transfer nail polish from an applicator to all portions of the nail plate with even and complete transfer, particularly at the lateral folds.
Although the nail polish formulation 300 is described in greater detail below, it should be understood that the nail polish formulation 300 may have a high enough viscosity to remain in a semi-solid form, but also be easily able to dissociate from itself. In other words, any portion of the film of nail polish formulation 300 that is on positioned on the applicator pad 100, but that is not pressed into contact with the fingernail 410, may remain on the applicator pad 100. On the other hand, all or substantially all portions of the nail polish formulation 300 that are pressed from the applicator pad 100 onto the user's fingernail 410 will transfer from the applicator pad 100 to the user's fingernail 410.
In an exemplary manicure, a user may be provided with an applicator pad 100 with the film or nail polish formulation 300 already applied to the leading end 120 of the applicator pad 100. However, in other embodiments described in greater detail below, the applicator pad 100 may be provided with the system and the user may be provided with one or more strips or pieces of nail polish formulation 300.
If the user is provided with the applicator pad 100 that already has the nail polish formulation 300 deposited on the applicator pad 100, the user may couple the applicator pad 100 to a receiving or holding component within a device similar to housing 10 described in connection with
Still referring to
After the user's fingernail 410 has been completely covered with the nail polish formulation 300, the applicator support may continue moving linearly to move the applicator pad 100 to the side, as shown in
The first portion of the curing step is also shown in
Although the curing energy 51 is shown in
It should be understood that, although it may be desirable for the nail polish formulation 300 to be applied to the user's fingernail 410 in a precise manner in which the nail polish formulation perfectly covers the entire fingernail 410 without being applied beyond the boundary of the fingernail 410 (e.g. skin on the user's finger), a bulk deposit mechanism will generally not allow this. In other words, because the curing process is extremely precise, the bulk deposit of nail polish (which may be practically easier than a precise deposit of nail polish) does not significantly negatively affect the end result of the manicure. It may be particularly difficult to avoid depositing nail polish formulation 300 onto a user's skin outside the boundaries of the fingernail 410 if users are being supplied with prepackaged containers of films of nail polish formulation 300 (with or without being pre-positioned on applicator pad 100). In other words, the sizes and shapes of a user's own fingernails may vary from finger to finger and from hand to hand, and the sizes and shapes of fingernails among the population are highly variable. Thus, in order for a prepackaged container of films of nail polish formulation 300 to be suitable to cover the entire fingernail 410 of many, most, or all users, the nail polish formulation 300 may need to be somewhat oversized compared to the average user's fingernail 410. And although wiping away the uncured nail polish formulation 320 after curing is complete is an acceptable strategy to cope with this extra nail polish formulation deposition, the high viscosity of the nail polish formulation 300 may create at least some difficulty in the removal step. In other words, the uncured nail polish formulation 320 may be very tacky or “gooey” on the skin, which may increase the difficulty of easily wiping away that uncured nail polish formulation 320 from the skin. Thus, it may be preferable to minimize the area and/or volume of uncured nail polish formulation 320 that remains on the user's skin after the curing process is complete. One way to help mitigate this issue is by “pre-curing” an area or volume of the nail polish formulation 300 while it is still positioned on applicator pad 100, prior to being deposited on the user's skin. As should be clear, it is typically undesirable to “pre-cure” the nail polish formulation 300 that will be deposited onto the user's fingernail 410. In other words, any “pre-curing” of the nail polish formulation 300 should be limited to nail polish formulation that would be expected to be deposited on the user's skin outside the boundary of the fingernail 410. As used herein, the term “pre-curing” refers to curing an area and/or volume of nail polish formulation while it is still on an applicator such as applicator pad 100 (or prior to being positioned on the applicator) prior to the step of depositing the nail polish formulation onto the user's fingernail.
After the pre-curing step is performed, the film of nail polish formulation 300 may be applied to the user's fingernail 410 in substantially the same manner as described in connection with
The above-described embodiments are described as being used with a pre-packaged nail polish applicator pad 100 with the nail polish formulation 300 already having been applied to the applicator pad 100. In such an embodiment, the user may be provided with a plurality of the applicator pads 100 as pre-packaged component(s), for example to use in a single manicure. For example, if the manicure involves applying a base coat, a color coat, and a top coat to ten fingernails, the user may be provided with thirty applicator pads 100, ten having the base coat already applied, ten having the color coat already applied, and ten having the top coat already applied. In other examples, the user may be provided with additional pre-packaged applicators for each manicure to allow for a fix or a correction for one or more fingernails if the manicure of particular nails does achieve the desired result. For example, for each coat, the user may be provided with twelve applicator pads 100 to allow for two “fixes” per coat. In still other embodiments, the user need not be provided with an applicator pad 100 for each fingernail. For example, the applicator pad 100 may be sized so that a single applicator pad 100 may apply nail polish formulation 300 to a plurality of fingernails. For example, a single applicator pad 100 may be pre-loaded with nail polish formulation 300 with the ability to cover two fingernails, five fingernails, ten fingernails, etc. In still further embodiments, described in greater detail below, the system may include a permanent or semi-permanent applicator pad 100 installed on the system, and the user may be provided with one or more pre-packaged films of nail polish formulation 300, with the films being applied to the applicator pad just prior to deposition onto the user's fingernail.
As noted above, the nail polish formulation 300 preferably has a very high viscosity resin, which may help the nail polish formulation 300 perform in the above-described manner. In one example, the nail polish formulation 300 preferably has a viscosity of at least 200,000 centipoise (cP), and up to 2,000,000 cP or greater at room temperature (e.g. between about 20° C. and about 25° C., including 21° C., 22° C., 23° C., or 24° C.) and at a shear rate of about 10 s−1. The applicator pad 100 may be highly conformable, as described above. As the applicator pad 100 applies force to the nail polish formulation 300, it is substantially likely that forces may be unevenly applied from the applicator pad 100 to the resin 300 as the resin 300 is pressed on the fingernail 410. If the nail polish formulation 300 had a viscosity lower than 200,000 cP, the likelihood of obtaining an even coating of the nail polish formulation 300 on the fingernail 410 is reduced. With a high viscosity nail polish formulation 300, including viscosities of at least 200,000 cP, and up to 2,000,000 cP and greater, the fluid has more limited movement under force, which allows for the nail polish formulation 300 to be evenly and/or uniformly applied to the fingernail 410, even if uneven forces are applied by the applicator pad 100. Forming the nail polish formulation 300 as a high viscosity resin may also have additional benefits. Nail polish formulation having viscosities of at least 200,000 cP and up to at least 2,000,000 cP are not known to have been previously used in nail polish formulation, but it has been found that such nail polish formulation may provide both longevity and easier removal than prior lower viscosity nail polish formulation. Still further, nail polish formulation with the above-mentioned viscosity may be more non-sensitizing than otherwise similar but lower viscosity nail polish formulation. In other words, high viscosity nail polish formulation may be less likely to irritate a user's skin and may be safer compared to lower viscosity, but otherwise similarly formulated, nail polish formulation. Even further, both chemical stability, as well as particle stability, of high viscosity resins may be greater than for otherwise similarly formulated lower viscosity resins. This may enhance, for example, the shelf-life of such high viscosity nail polish formulation. Another benefit of very high viscosity nail polish formulation is that oxygen diffusion near the surface of the nail polish formulation may be lower than what would be found in more typical lacquer nail polish formulation. The relatively low oxygen diffusion may, at least in part, result in a very good glossiness in the nail polish formulation when applied to the fingernail. Other more typical lacquers may also achieve good gloss, but require various additives to achieve such glossiness, whereas a very high viscosity nail polish polymer resin may achieve very desirable gloss without (or with only minimal) additives.
Although the high-viscosity nail polish formulation described herein may be a Newtonian fluid, it may instead be formed as a non-Newtonian fluid. For example, the nail polish formulation may be formed as a shear thinning or shear thickening fluid (including, for example, by the addition of rheology modifiers to obtain shear thinning or shear thickening properties). Generally, a fluid is shear thickening if the viscosity (or apparent viscosity) increases as the shear rate increases, whereas a fluid is shear thinning if the viscosity (or apparent viscosity) decreases as the shear rate increases. The nail polish formulation may also be formed as a yield stress fluid. Generally, a yield stress fluid is able to flow only when they are subjected to a stress above some pre-determined value. When yield stress fluids are subjected to a stress below that pre-determined value, they tend to act more like a solid. Shear thinning fluids may be particularly desirable for the methods described herein as they may remain in a semi-solid type of state during storage and before application to the fingernail, but while they are being pressed onto the fingernail 410 by applicator pad 100, the apparent viscosity of the nail polish formulation 300 may reduce, allowing the nail polish formulation to more easily “flow” into the hard-to-reach areas of the fingernail 410, including the proximal and lateral folds.
A high viscosity nail polish formulation 300 according to the present disclosure may include one or more components, including a diacrylate-based resin or a dimethacrylate-based resin, a film-forming homopolymer, a photoinitiator, a reactive diluent, a rheology modifier, a pigment and/or other additives.
Suitable diacrylate-based resins include one or more of aliphatic urethane diacrylates, cycloaliphatic urethane diacrylates, polyalkylene glycol diacrylates, butane-1,4-diol diacrylate, butane-1,6-diol diacrylate, 1,6-hexane diol diacrylate, 2-((acryloyloxy)methyl)-2-ethylpropane-1,3-diyl diacrylate, ((2,2-dimethylpropane-1,3-diyl)bis(oxy))bis(propane-2,1-diyl)diacrylate, and bisphenol A epoxy diacrylate. Examples of suitable polyalkylene glycol diacrylates include ethylene glycol diacrylate, diethylene glycol diacrylate, triethylene glycol diacrylate, polyethylene glycol diacrylate, polypropylene glycol diacrylate, dipropylene glycol diacrylate, and tripropylene glycol diacrylate. Suitable dimethacrylate-based resins include one or more of aliphatic urethane dimethacrylates, cycloaliphatic urethane dimethacrylates, bisphenol A-glycidyl methacrylate, (“BIS-GMA”), 3-glycerol dimethacrylate/succinate adduct, dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, polyethylene glycol dimethacrylate, neopentylglycol dimethacrylate, pyromellitic dianhydride dimethacrylate, pyromellitic dianhydride glyceryl dimethacrylate, and promellitic dimethacrylate, such as described in U.S. Ser. Nos. 13/042,436, 15/307,089, 15/501,539, 15/702,434, U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,901,199 and 10,744,348 B2, all of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties. If a diacrylate-based resin is used, one example may include a blend of high viscosity urethane diacrylate resins, for example, Sartomer CN 963 diacrylate and Esstech PL-7210 urethane diacrylate blended together or provided separately. The high viscosity diacrylate-based or dimethacrylate-based resin may provide (or help provide) many of the desirable qualities described above, including the ability to be evenly applied to the fingernail 410 by applicator pad 100.
The film-forming homopolymer may assist in forming the nail polish formulation 300 into a film, and may help enhance the ease with which the nail polish formulation 300 may be removed from the user's fingernail 410 when the user desires to remove the nail polish. Suitable film-forming additives include one or more of cellulose film-forming derivatives (e.g., nitrocellulose, ethyl cellulose, cellulose esters such as cellulose acetate, cellulose acetate butyrate, cellulose acetate propionate and mixtures thereof), vinyl and acrylic polymers (e.g., poly(acrylic acid) and poly(vinyl butyryl), silicon resins (e.g., trimethyl silicate and polymethylsilsesquioxene) ether-based resins (e.g., polyvinyl stearyl ether) and the condensation of formaldehyde with arylsulphonomide. The film-forming additive may be used individually or may be in the form of co-film. In one example, the film-forming homopolymer is cellulose acetate butyrate having a molecular weight greater than 10K.
The reactive diluent may reduce the viscosity of the formulation, for example in order to help achieve the desired final viscosity, and may also have an influence on the adhesion of the formulation to the substrate (e.g. the nail or an underlying layer of nail polish), as well as influencing the cross-linking of the resin. Although various reactive diluents are known in the art, some suitable examples may include hydroxyethyl methacrylate (“HEMA”), hydroxypropyl methacrylate (“HPMA”), and trimethyl propyl trimethacrylate (“TMPTMA”). The rheology modifier may affect how the formulation flows, for example by providing shear thickening, shear thinning, or yield stress properties as described above.
Although various rheology modifiers are known in the art, one suitable example may be fumed silicas, which may be chemically modified, for example by decorating the surface of the particles with specific chemicals that change the behavior of the underlying particle. Other suitable examples may include bentonite clay and hectorite.
The photoinitiator may help to initiate the polymerization reaction upon application of the curing energy, which may be UV energy (although, in other embodiments, may be other types of energy, including electromagnetic energy outside the UV spectrum). Suitable photoinitiators include: 2, 4, 6, trimethylbenzoyldiphenylphosphine oxide, methyl phenyl glyoxylate, 1-hydroxy-cyclohexyl-phenyl-ketone and ethyl (2, 4, 6-trimethylbenzoyl)phenylphosphinate. The concentration of the photoinitiator may be dependent, at least in part, on the wavelength at which the photoinitiator is activated, and on the intensity of the electromagnetic that will be applied. And while a single type of photoinitiator may be suitable, in some embodiments, two photoinitiators with different initiation wavelengths may be provided in a single formulation.
A wide variety of pigments may be used. The pigment helps to provide the desired color, if any color is to be provided. It should be understood that a pigment may be provided in a base coat or even a topcoat. For example, topcoats may have a tendency to yellow, and adding a blue pigment to the top coat may help diminish this effect. Any suitable pigment, for example Red 6, may be used as the pigment if a pigment is included.
Other suitable additives include wetting agents, plasticizers (e.g., citrates and phthalates) defoamers (e.g., polysiloxane emulsions), levelling agents, and dispersing agents, optical brighteners, oils, waxes, fragrances, preservatives, plasticizers and the like, the selection of which will be within the skill of one in the art of nail polish formulation and are as described, for example in U.S. Ser. Nos. 13/042,436, 15/307,089, 15/501,539, 15/702,434, U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,901,199 and 10,744,348 B2, all of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.
Although all or some of the above-mentioned formulation components may be included in the nail polish formulation 300 in any suitable combination, some guidelines may be helpful. For example, in one particular formulation of nail polish formulation 300, the mass fraction of high viscosity dimethacrylate (or the high viscosity diacrylate) in the nail polish formulation 300 may be between about 50% and about 95%, including between about 80% and about 90%, including about 85%. The mass fraction of the film-forming homopolymer included in the nail polish formulation 300 may be between about 0% and about 15%, including about 5% and about 10%. The mass fraction of the photoinitiator included in the nail polish formulation 300 may be between about 0% and about 15%, including about 1%, about 3%, about 5%, about 7%, about 9%, about 11%, and about 13% The mass fraction of the pigment in the nail polish formulation 300, if included, may be between about 0% and about 15%, including about 1%, about 3%, about 5%, about 7%, about 9%, about 11%, and about 13%. The reactive diluent and/or rheology modifier may be added to the formulation as needed. It should be understood that each range of mass percent of each component described above includes any value between the outer bounds of the particular range provided. In other words, if the high viscosity dimethacrylate may be between about 75% and about 95% of the formulation, this should be understood to include 76%, 77%, 78%, etc.
The nail polish formulation 300 described above may be suitable for use as a color coat, a base coat, and/or a top coat, although the formulation may vary somewhat depending on how the nail polish formulation 300 is used. For example, pigments may be added if the nail polish formulation is to be used as a color coat, and pigments may be omitted if the nail polish formulation 300 is to be used as a top coat. However, for the embodiment described above, regardless of the use of the nail polish formulation 300, the resin should be formulated to be high viscosity and selectively curable, for example by electromagnetic energy such as UV light.
Although the above-described formulation(s) may be suitable for base coats, color coats, and/or topcoats (with or without modification specific to each coat), there may be special considerations regarding the base coat. For example, in a typical UV-curable liquid base coat that has low viscosity compared to the above-described formulation, the UV curing of the base coat may cause the base coat become difficult to remove, and may be damaging to the user's fingernail. The typical lacquer base coat is swellable in acetone for removal, and provides good adhesion to the underlying nail plate, so that additional layers may be provided on top of the base coat. Other types of nail decoration products avoid this issue entirely, but other problems may arise with those options. For example, some vinyl sticker nail products include a thin layer of vinyl and a pressure-sensitive adhesive (“PSA”) bottom layer. Although these products may look like a traditional lacquer gel manicure, the vinyl sticker nail products are typically both difficult and time-consuming to skillfully apply. In addition, the vinyl sticker nail products typically need to be chosen for the correct size and then filed down. Further, these types of vinyl stickers may show wear quickly relative to gel manicures, may allow dirt to get under the vinyl and stick to the PSA layer, and may still require users to apply a top coat manually. One of the advantages of the vinyl stickers is that they are easier to remove compared to lacquer base coats.
As described above, the formulations described herein are preferably very high viscosity resins. High viscosity nail polish formulation may not be ideal for use as a base coat. For example, the low viscosity of traditional lacquer base coats may allow the base coat to easily flow into all of the “nooks and crannies” of the nail, ensuring good coverage and adhesion of the base coat to the nail plate. This is why it may be preferable for the high viscosity nail polish formulation to have shear thinning properties. In addition, the base coat typically is provided with solvents that evaporate as the base coat dries on the nail plate. This evaporation may result in reduced cross-link density of the resin, which may help for the overlying color coat, when applied, to make good contact with the base coat. In addition, this reduced cross-link density may assist with later removal of the nail polish, as solvents may be able to more easily penetrate the base coat to assist with removing the base coat. Because of these factors, forming a base coat from a very high viscosity resin may not be optimal in all cases.
As should be understood from this disclosure, high viscosity nail polish formulation are preferable for use in the systems described herein. However, as noted directly above, a high viscosity UV-curable nail polish formulation may not be optimal for use in a base coat. One option to overcome the tension between high viscosity and effective use as a base coat is to use a PSA layer as a base coat, with the high viscosity UV curable nail polish formulation described above as the color coat(s) and/or top coat. PSAs are typically inherently high viscosity polymers, such as styrene-acrylate copolymers. The PSA base coats described herein preferably are provided in a roll or in sheets, and need not be UV cured (or cured by other electromagnetic energy), as the PSAs are activated by the application of pressure, with the application of pressure pressing the PSA into the “nooks and crannies” of the nail plate. However, PSA base coats may be provided as UV-curable base coats, and there may be benefits of using a PSA base coat that is curable by UV energy (or other suitable energy). Preferably, the PSAs are soluble/swellable in a solvent, such as acetone (and/or other solvents, such as isopropyl alcohol), although not all PSAs are soluble/swellable. Thus, during removal of a manicure that includes a PSA film base coat, the PSA film may be able to be wiped away in a similar or the same manner as uncured nail polish formulation described above. As will be described in greater detail below, the PSA base coat may be applied as a film onto the first coat of high viscosity nail polish formulation (e.g. the color coat), with both the PSA base coat and the first coat of high viscosity nail polish formulation being applied to the user's fingernail simultaneously. In other embodiments, the PSA base coat may be applied as a film in a first step, with the layer(s) of high viscosity nail polish formulation being applied in one or more following steps. In still further embodiments, the PSA may be provided as a liquid, including a UV-curable liquid or a solvent-based liquid, that may be used as a base coat. PSA base coats, if used as a base coat for the high viscosity nail polish formulation described herein, may be easily removed by the user at home between manicures, and may provide adhesion that is superior to a base coat formed of high viscosity nail polish formulation.
Two examples of the use of a PSA base coat with the system(s) described herein are described in connection with
Referring now to
Now referring to
Regardless of whether the PSA film 500 is deposited by itself, or concurrently with a color coat of nail polish formulation 300, after the final coat of nail polish formulation 300 (e.g. a top coat) is cured, the user may wipe away any uncured nail polish formulation 300 on the skin, as well as any PSA film 500 extending beyond the nail 410 onto the skin.
There may be various considerations to take into account when providing the various nail polish formulation 300, films of PSA 500, and/or applicator pads 100 to the user. For example, in one embodiment, the user may be provided with a plurality of films of base coat, color coat, and top coat in a package for use in the system described above. The system may include a permanent or semi-permanent applicator pad 100, or one or more fresh applicator pads 100 may be provided with each package that contains the base coat, color coat, and top coat. The above-described use of films of PSA 500 for a base coat may provide advantages over the more traditional use of vinyl nails with PSA layers. For example, because the system automatically applies the film of PSA 500 to the fingernail 410, there is no difficulty or skill involved in the application, which is a drawback of the traditional vinyl nails. There is also no difficulty with selecting the correct size of the PSA film 500, because the nail polish formulation 300 applied to the PSA film 500 are precisely cured, allowing for any excess PSA film 500 to simply be wiped away. And since the color coat and top coats are automated, there is no need to manually apply a top coat as must be done with traditional vinyl nails. Further, because the color coat and top coat are thick, high viscosity resins, the manicure may last longer than typical vinyl nails because the overlying layers may be thicker and tougher than what is found in traditional vinyl nails.
If the package of base coat, color coat, and/or top coat is provided as individual, separate films, it may be preferable to include a transfer film 600 with each film of base coat, color coat, and top coat. Transfer film 600 may have a similar purpose as the “intermediate transfer films” mentioned above. As noted above, each package for the user may contain any desirable number of films of base coat, color coat, and top coat. For example, a single package may include ten films each of base coat, color coat, and top coat to provide for one complete manicure (e.g. a total of 30 films), or more than ten films each to allow for corrections (e.g. 12 films each for a total of 36 films). Each package may also include a single applicator pad 100 intended to be discarded after the manicure, or may include more than one applicator pad 100, or otherwise no applicator pads 100 (particularly if the system has a permanent or semi-permanent applicator pad 100).
Referring to
After the film of base coat nail polish formulation 300 has been applied and cured, the process may be repeated for a stack of transfer film 600 and color coat nail polish formulation 300, in substantially the same manner. Then, after the color coat is cured, the process may be completed again for a stack of transfer film 600 and topcoat nail polish formulation 300. This process (which is three steps if three coats are used) may be repeated for each finger in sequence until the manicure is finished.
If the transfer film 600 is used, it is preferable that the transfer film 600 has certain qualities. For example, the transfer film 600 is preferably formed of a material that has a hardness that is less than or equal to the hardness of the applicator pad 100. Thus, if the applicator pad 100 has a Shore durometer hardness of OO-10, it is preferable that the transfer film 600 has a Shore durometer hardness of OO-10 or less. This may be preferable because if the transfer film 600 is harder than the applicator pad 100, the hardness of the transfer film 600 may prohibit the applicator pad 100 from pressing the film of nail polish formulation 300 into all areas of the fingernail 410, including the hard-to-reach lateral folds. In one example, the transfer film 600 is formed of a silicone sheet, although the transfer film 600 may instead be formed of a thermoplastic elastomer, a thermoplastic urethane, foams thereof, hydrogel materials, or other similar materials. Although the hardness of the transfer film 600 may be selected based at least in part on the hardness of the applicator pad 100, in some embodiments, the transfer film 600 is formed of a material having a hardness of between about Shore OO-40 and Shore OO-70, although it may be preferable to have transfer film 600 formed of a material having a hardness of less than Shore durometer OO-40, less than Shore durometer OO-30, less than Shore durometer OO-20, or as noted above Shore durometer OO-10 or less. In some embodiments, the transfer film 600 may be formed to have areas or portions having different values of hardness. Further, as noted above, there may be an “adhesion hierarchy” between the nail polish formulation 300 and other components that may be utilized to help control where the nail polish formulation 300 does, or does not, transfer. For example, the material of the transfer film 600 should be selected so that the nail polish formulation 300 prefers to adhere to the user's fingernail 410 compared to the transfer film 600. Thus, as the applicator pad 100 is pressed onto the user's fingernail 410, the nail polish formulation 300 prefers to transfer from the transfer film 600 to the fingernail 410. In another embodiment, the transfer film 600 may take the form of a film that elongates, stretches, and/or conforms to the contours of the user's fingernail, such as a paraffin film. For example, such a transfer film 600 may have a nail polish formulation applied to one surface, and that surface may be brought into contact with the user's fingernail, with the film elongating, stretching, and/or conforming to the contours of the user's fingernail in the process (e.g. as a result of force applied by the applicator pad 100).
As should be clear, the nail polish formulation 300 must be exposed for application to the user's fingernail 410. However, it may be preferable to protect the nail polish formulation 300 prior to use, for example while it is in an unopened package. To that end, a protective layer 700 may be applied to the nail polish formulation 300 so that the nail polish formulation 300 is positioned between the protective layer 700 and the transfer film 600, as shown in
The assembly shown in
For example, referring to
In another embodiment, shown in
Still referring to
In an exemplary use of the tape of
Although the system of
As has been noted above, many or all of the components of the tape roll shown in
Although the systems and methods described in connection with
In some embodiments, the package that contains the nail polish formulation(s) 300 and/or PSA film(s) 500 and/or applicator pad(s) 100 may be a vacuum-formed packet with a foil lid, although the packaging may take various other forms. Regardless of the particular form of the packaging, the package and/or components within the package may include additional features to assist the system in determining information regarding the components enclosed in the package. For example, the packaging (or the components that will be inserted into the system, such as a tape roll similar to that shown in
Although
One notable difference between the systems of
As noted above, because the applicator pad 100 of
In some embodiments, the applicator pad 100 may be omitted, with a transfer film applied directly to the user's fingernail. For example, a highly conformable transfer film may be provided, similar or identical to transfer film 600. That transfer film may include nail polish formulation positioned thereon substantially as described above. Instead of pressing the nail polish formulation onto the user's fingernail via an applicator pad, the transfer film may include a support backing that is pulled or pushed onto the user's fingernail. For example, a support backing of relatively thick and/or relatively hard and/or relatively rigid material such as paper may be provided on a side of the transfer film opposite the nail polish formulation. The transfer film may be positioned above the user's fingernail, and pulled or pressed down onto the user's fingernail to transfer the nail polish formulation to the user's fingernail. In some embodiments, an applicator device may be provided to press the transfer film downward onto the user's fingernail. In some embodiments, the transfer film may be provided in a unit, for example a cartridge, that may be moved downward into contact with the user's fingernail to transfer the nail polish formulation from the transfer film to the user's fingernail. In some embodiments, the applicator (or other device) pressing down or pulling down on the transfer film is supported at areas on either or both sides of the fingernail, which may facilitate the transfer film flexing or otherwise conforming to the contours of the user's fingernail. After nail polish formulation is transferred from the transfer film to the user's fingernail, it may be cured via any of the mechanisms described above, and the transfer film may be fed in a direction to present the next area of nail polish formulation so that the next area of nail polish formulation may be transferred to the user's fingernail via a subsequent application. In some embodiments, the unit may structurally and/or conceptually resemble a cassette tape, where the bottom of the cassette tape presents the nail polish formulation toward the user's fingernail, and the transfer film can unspool from one roller of the unit while spent transfer film can simultaneously spool onto a second roller of the unit. In this example, the relatively rigid and/or relatively thick support backing may function, alone or in combination with another device, as the applicator. In some embodiments, a separate applicator may be provided that presses down (or pulls down) on the transfer film, and in such embodiments the transfer film may or may not have a supporting layer positioned thereon. If provided as a cassette-type of unit, a protective covering may be provided at the exposed area of the cassette, so that during storage, the internal components of the unit (such as the nail polish formulation) are protected, including being protected from drying, etc. In such an embodiment, the protective covering may be removed by the user just prior to insertion of the unit into the system to expose the nail polish formulation in preparation for the manicure. After completion of the manicure, the unit may be removed from the system and discarded by the user.
For example,
The transfer film 600 shown in
Referring still to
As illustrated in
The applicator 100′ and tape may continue to be driven in direction D15 away from the user's finger 400, as shown in
Cartridge 1000 may also include a supply roller 1020 and a take-up roller 1030 therein. In the illustrated embodiment, supply roller 1020 is positioned on a first side of applicator 100′ with the take-up roller 1030 being positioned on the opposite side of applicator 100′. The supply roller 1020 and take-up roller 1030 may each be circular or cylindrical, and are each preferably capable of rotating about a center of the roller. The cartridge 1000 may include a tape 1100, the tape 1100 being similar or identical to that shown and described in connection with
Still referring to
In an initial condition of the cartridge 1000, the tape 1100 may be wound multiple turns around the supply roller 1020, and few or no turns around the take-up roller 1030. In this initial condition, at least some nail polish formulation 300 on the tape 1100 may be exposed and face toward the bottom of the cartridge 1000 (and toward a user's fingernail 410 when in an operative condition). In one embodiment, the cartridge 1000 may be open substantially along the boundary of the recess 1010, so that the opening in the cartridge 1000 is about equal to the width of the recess 1010 at the base of the cartridge. In some embodiments, as shown in
The use of cartridge 1000 may be substantially similar or identical to the description above in connection with
In one example, supply roller 1020 and take-up roller 1030 may both be annular or otherwise define a central recess, and the cartridge 1000 may similarly define openings that extend through a center of the supply roller 1020 and take-up roller 1030. For example, the cartridge 1000 may define two substantially circular openings which may be slid onto or over corresponding cartridge supports in the system housing to hold the cartridge 1000 in a desired position. Those cartridge supports may be translatable in one, two, or three linear directions to move the cartridge 1000 in corresponding linear directions, and one or both of the cartridge supports may be rotatable to cause rotation of the supply roller 1020 and/or the take-up roller 1030 to advance the tape 1100 from the supply roller 1020 to the take-up roller 1030. In this exemplary embodiment, the cartridge supports of the system housing may be advanced downward toward a user's fingernail 410 when the user's finger 400 is positioned underneath recess 1010. As the cartridge 1000 is advanced, the exposed portion of tape 1010 contacts the user's fingernail 410, and as movement continues, the applicator 100′ may help the tape 1100 deform over the user's fingernail 410 as described in connection with
The cartridge 1000 may be supplied with enough tape 1100 to perform a complete manicure (e.g. for ten fingers), and optionally with enough additional tape 1100 to perform additional depositions for “fixes” of one or more fingernails as desired, similar as described above. With this configuration, a user may use a single cartridge 1000 for a manicuring session, and dispose of the cartridge 1000 after a satisfactory completion of the manicure. The configuration of cartridge 1000 may allow for relatively easy loading of the cartridge 1000 into the system housing, and relatively easy disposal of the cartridge 1000 upon completion, while reducing or eliminating the likelihood of nail polish formulation inadvertently depositing within the system or elsewhere (e.g. reducing the overall “messiness” of the process). In some embodiments, although not illustrated, the cartridge 1000 may be provided to the user with a protective covering of some or all portions of the recess 1010 in order to create a partial or complete seal of the cartridge. For example, a foil or plastic layer may be provided over the recess 1010 so that the nail polish formulation 300 is unlikely to dry out, inadvertently cure, or otherwise suffer from degradation or unwanted effects of exposure to air or light. In some embodiments, it may be preferable that cartridge 1000 partially or completely blocks curing energy, such as ultraviolet light, through the cartridge 1000 in order to help prevent premature and/or unintentional curing of the nail polish formulation 300 prior to the manicure. Just prior to inserting the cartridge 1000 into the system housing, the user may peel off or otherwise remove the protective layer, exposing the recess 1010 in preparation for the manicure session.
Now referring to
Applicator 2100 may take a similar or the same form as applicator 100′. For example, applicator 2100 may be a flexible film or tape that has enough rigidity to maintain a generally tented or arcuate shape, the flexible film or tape extending between guide pins 2110. If applicator 2100 is provided as a flexible film, it may be formed of a conformable material such as an elastic band, a soft plastic sheet, such as polytetrafluoroethylene (“PTFE”), or similar materials. However, the applicator 2100 may instead be formed of a more rigid material, such as a hard plastic material. The guide pins 2110 may be formed integrally with or as separate members from the applicator 2100. For example, if the applicator 2100 is formed as a rigid member, the guide pins 2110 may be integral with the applicator 2100. If the guide pins 2110 are integral with the applicator 2100, the guide pins may simply be a rounded surface on the applicator 2100. If the applicator 2100 is formed of a generally conformable tape or film, it may be preferable to provide guide pins 2110 as separate members which the tape of film may connect to, and the guide pins 2110 may be any suitable material, including hard or soft metals or plastics.
Similar to cartridge 1000, cartridge 2000 may include a tape with nail polish formulation positioned thereon. In the embodiment illustrated in
Referring now to
Now referring to
After the window of nail polish formulation 2300b is in sufficient contact with the user's fingernail 410, the cartridge 2000 may move linearly away from the user's fingernail 410. In the embodiment illustrated in
After the cartridge 2000 is in the position shown in
It should be understood that, although different embodiments with various features have been described above, features from some embodiments may be combined with features from other embodiments as appropriate. For example, the pre-curing methodology may be used with the system and method described in connection with
It should further be understood that, although various concepts are described herein in connection with a specific application of manicure systems, the concepts may be applied in a similar fashion in other types of applications without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the pre-curing (or inverse curing) methodology may be used in other applications in which it is desirable to transfer a curable formulation (such as a curable resin, including a UV-curable formulation or resin) from an applicator film or pad to an object, while doing so with high precision. Although the object described above is a fingernail, the object can be any objected adapted to receive a resin thereon. For example, the pre-curing method may be used with pad press technology in which an applicator pad, which may be generally similar to pad 100 shown and described in connection with
If a pad press technology is to be used to print the same logo or design onto a large number of objects, a template may be suitable because a single identical logo or design is to be transferred again and again. Thus, the ink or resin may be placed into the template, the applicator pad may pick up the logo or design from the template and apply it to a first object, and the process may be continued repeatedly. However, if there is a desire to use pad press technology to apply different logos or designs to objects, the use of templates may not be preferable since a template can only produce a single logo or design. In order to provide the ability to use pad press technology to apply designs or logos to an object with any desired variety of design or logo, curable resins may be used with the pre-curing or inverse curing technology described above. For example, a strip of curable resin may be provided, similar to any of the strips or tapes described above, such as that shown and described in connection with
The cellulose acetate butyrate is dissolved in butyl acetate and added to the CN 963 urethane diacrylate and TPO with a small amount of butyl acetate. The components are mixed in a centrifugal mixer. To this is added the PL-7210 and mixed. The pigment is added and formulation is mixed to a solution for suitable for spray coating and having a viscosity of 100 cP. The viscosity of dried component is 2 to 3 million cP.
Although the invention herein has been described with reference to particular embodiments, it is to be understood that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and applications of the present invention. It is therefore to be understood that numerous modifications may be made to the illustrative embodiments and that other arrangements may be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.
Claims
1. A method of applying a curable formulation to an object, comprising:
- positioning an amount of formulation on a surface before curing the formulation, the formulation being curable by an electromagnetic energy;
- while the amount of formulation remains on the surface, directing a first amount of the electromagnetic energy to the formulation to cure a first area of the uncured formulation, while leaving a second area of the formulation uncured; and
- applying force to press the surface onto the object to transfer the second area of uncured formulation to the object.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising directing a second amount of the electromagnetic energy to the second area of uncured formulation that has been transferred to the object to cure the second area of uncured formulation.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting a shape of the object prior to directing the first amount of the electromagnetic energy to the formulation.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein directing the first amount of the electromagnetic energy to the formulation includes directing the first amount of the electromagnetic energy in a pattern that leaves the second area of uncured formulation in a shape corresponding to the detected shape of the object.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the formulation is a nail polish formulation, and the object is a fingernail.
6. The method of claim 2, wherein directing the second amount of the electromagnetic energy to the second area of uncured formulation includes selectively curing the second area of uncured formulation.
7. The method of claim 2, wherein directing the second amount of the electromagnetic energy to the second area of uncured formulation includes bulk curing the second area of uncured formulation.
8. The method of claim 2, wherein the first amount of electromagnetic energy is directed from a first source of electromagnetic energy, and the second amount of electromagnetic energy is directed from the first source of electromagnetic energy.
9. The method of claim 2, wherein the first amount of electromagnetic energy is directed from a first source of electromagnetic energy, and the second amount of electromagnetic energy is directed from a second source of electromagnetic energy different than the first source.
10. A method of using a nail polish application system, the method comprising:
- positioning a nail polish application component within the nail polish application system, the nail polish application component having a plurality of areas of nail polish formulation positioned on a transfer film of the nail polish application component;
- positioning a user's first fingernail at least partially in the nail polish application system so that a first one of the plurality of areas of nail polish formulation confronts the user's first fingernail;
- engaging the nail polish application component with the user's first fingernail so that an amount of the first one of the plurality of areas of nail polish formulation transfers from the transfer film to the user's first fingernail;
- nail polish formulation nail polish formulation positioning a second fingernail of the user at least partially in the nail polish application system;
- after engaging the nail polish application component with the user's first fingernail, positioning a portion of the nail polish application component so that a second one of the plurality of areas of nail polish formulation confronts the user's second fingernail; and
- engaging the nail polish application component with the user's second fingernail so that an amount of the second one of the plurality of areas of nail polish formulation transfers from the transfer film to the user's second fingernail.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first one of the plurality of areas of nail polish formulation and the second one of the plurality of areas of nail polish formulation are continuous with each other on the transfer film.
12. The method of claim 10, wherein the first one of the plurality of areas of nail polish formulation is discrete and spaced apart from the second one of the plurality of areas of nail polish formulation on the transfer film.
13. The method of claim 10, wherein the transfer film stretches to match contours of the user's first fingernail as the nail polish application component engages the user's first fingernail.
14. The method of claim 10, wherein the transfer film is formed of a silicone, a thermoplastic elastomer (“TPE”), or a thermoplastic polyurethane (“TPU”).
15. A nail polish application component for use with a nail polish application system, the nail polish application component comprising:
- a transfer film having a nail polish formulation positioned on the transfer film, the nail polish formulation being curable by an electromagnetic energy and including a first area of nail polish formulation and a second area of nail polish formulation;
- the nail polish application component having a storage condition in which a protective covering covers the nail polish formulation to prevent the electromagnetic energy from passing through the protective layer to cure the nail polish formulation;
- the nail polish application component having an operative condition in which the nail polish application component is received within the nail polish application system and the nail polish formulation is exposed to allow the electromagnetic energy to cure the nail polish formulation;
- wherein, in the operative condition of the nail polish application component, the transfer film is advanceable from a first position in which the first area of nail polish formulation confronts a user's fingernail positioned within the nail polish application system to a second position in which the second area of nail polish formulation confronts the user's fingernail positioned within the nail polish application system.
16. The nail polish application component of claim 15, wherein the nail polish formulation on the transfer film has a thickness of between about 50 μm and about 400 μm.
17. The nail polish application component of claim 15, wherein the first area of nail polish formulation and the second area of nail polish formulation are continuous with each other on the transfer film.
18. The nail polish application component of claim 15, wherein the first area of nail polish formulation is discrete and spaced apart from the second of area of nail polish formulation on the transfer film.
19. The nail polish application component of claim 15, wherein the transfer film is formed of a silicone, a thermoplastic polyurethane (“TPU”), or a thermoplastic elastomer (“TPE”).
20. The nail polish application component of claim 15, wherein the transfer film is configured to stretch to match contours of the user's fingernail as the nail polish application component engages with the user's fingernail.
Type: Application
Filed: Dec 18, 2020
Publication Date: Jun 24, 2021
Applicant: Coral Labs, Inc. (San Mateo, CA)
Inventors: Bradley Leong (San Francisco, CA), Alina Mercedes Matson (Chaska, MN), Julia Dianne Cushen (San Francisco, CA), Alexander Milton Friedman (San Francisco, CA)
Application Number: 17/126,194